Barbed-wire fence



J. M. MAYV BARBED WIRE FENCE.

No. 264,728. Patented Sept; 19; 1882.

JCWWMQZLM UtvrrEn STATES PATENT OFFICE.-

JOHN M. MAY, OF CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWVA.

BARBED-WIRE FENCE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 264,728, datedSeptember 19, 1882.

Application filed April 30, 1879.

To all whom tt may concern Be it'known that I, JOHN M. MAY, of GedarRapids, in the county of Linn, and in the State of Iowa, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Barbs for Barbed- Wire Fence andFastening the Barbs to the Wire; and I do hereby declare that thefollowingis a full, clear, and exact description thereof, referencebeing bad to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of referencemarked thereon, making a part of this specification.

My invention relates to certain improvements in barbs for wire fences;and it con-- sists in providing a barb which will be capable of movementindependently of the wires which form the fence proper and by which itis sustained, such movement being a slight shift or slide of the barb inthe direction of its own longitudinal axis, combined with a partiallyrotary movement of the barb, the latter being the essential end soughtto be obtained by my invention. The. object and purpose of providing abarb adapted to have these movements independently of the fence is toprevent the severe laceration and pricking of animals which result fromthe use of the ordinary and common barbs, which, on account of theirrigidity, do not yield to the pressure of the animal coming in contacttherewith, while in my case, when the animal comes against the barb,(which is usually at an angle'thereto,) it moves, gives, or recedes fromit, thus warning him of his nearness to the fence, and yet causing himno injury, the effect being rather to exert a scraping tendency andpressure against him than to cause a puncture or laceration.

In the drawings forminga part of this specification like letters ofreference indicate corresponding parts, in which Figure 1isap'crspective view of a portion or section of a barbed-wire fencehaving my improved barbs applied thereto; Fig. 2, a view showing amodification in the detail construction of my barb applied to the wiresof fence; and Fig. 3, a detached view of the barb, show ing more clearlyits detail construction.

The letter A indicates a portion or section of the wires of a wirefence, the same being twisted together after the usual manner, and

the letter B a barb applied thereto, the same being placed between thestrands of the fence, a loop therefor being left between the strands ofsuflicient size to permit of an easy and unobstructed play or swing ofthe barbs, as indicated by the arrows in the drawings. The said barbsare formed usually of wire, their ends being pointed in the ordinarymanner, and a neck or space, (J, made thereon by turning or bending thewire, as at D, the enlargements or shoulders thus formed having thefunction of preventing the displacement of the barbs from thefencc-wires.

It will be observed that the length of the neck (J is somewhat greaterthan the diameter of the strands'or than the space they occupy on saidneck, the object of which is to permit of the easy swing'or oscillationof the barb, as hereinbefore pointed out, that they may readily yield tothe contact of the animal, rather than offer him a positive resistance.

It is also observable that these shoulders may be otherwise formed thanby bending or turning the wire of the barb, as above mentioned, anillustration of which modified construction is seen in Fig. 2 of thedrawings, in which instance the barb is made of cast-iron,theenlargements 1) being cast therewith, the gist and essential featureof my invention being, as herein previously indicated, to pro vide abarb capable of a swinging or oscillating movement within thefence-wires, and with means for loosely retaining them therein,irrespective of the peculiar detail, form, or construction.

\Vhenan animal comes in contactwith a bath made after the plan of thisinvention the barb will swing around or move with his body and cause himto feel a pressure or sensation without bringing him in direct contactwith the point of the barb, thus resulting in warding him off from thefence. and yet avoiding the cruel consequences usually attending the useof this class of fences.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is

A barb for wire fences having a shank or neck intermediate between itsends, formed by bending or otherwise enlarging the body of the barb, thesaid shank being adapted. to have hereunto set my hand and seal this 22dfit between the strands of the fence, and of day of April, 1879. suchlength as to permit of a swin in 01' 0scillating movement of the barb, as s aecitied, 5 substantially as and for the purposes herein Witnesses:

set forth. V A. D. COLLIER,

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I H. D. PARKHURST.

